Seeing Ghosts
by Pyromanic Kittie
Summary: A few months after the death of Mattie the gang has been assigned a new mission to help a Miko regain an item stolen from her family. Through the mission the group is thrown for a loop when they get closer to the end. OCs
1. Prologue

**A/N: Here is the Sequel to My Sister, a secret agent?**

**Sorry to those who were mad to me for the ending of that story. Please continue reading if you want an explanation.**

**Also, think Rent (for those who have seen it) the one character everyone loved died in that story (I miss Angel T.T)**

**i would like two reviews before I continue.

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Prologue

She placed strips of paper in a pattern around her while she lit two candles that sat on either side of an urn. One knee on the floor, the other up balanced on her foot with her beads wrapped around her hands as they wove together in an intricate pattern.

A Screeching sound rounded the corner before her and came rushing towards her but her protective barrier kept her from being struck.

"Silence you foul creature or death!" She shouted as she opened her cloud blue eyes. "This is your last haunting. Either go peacefully to the after life or I will take measures into my own hands!"

The spectral cloud screamed in protest and thrashed against her barrier, but it held well.

"So be it." She mumbled as she closed her eyes again and quickly began weaving a spell around the unearthly thing before her. The words blurred quickly together as glowing chains wrapped around the cloud and began pulling it down.

It cried and thrashed against the chains but all in vain, her spells were powerful and perfect. Finally the spectral being was pulled downward and vanished into the urn.

She clamped the lid on and added several strips of protection and sealing charms before she dispelled the barrier she had put up and blew out the candles.

_There now…_ She thought as she lifted the urn and slid it into the velvet bag on her hip. _If only you had passed on and did not hold on to such anger and hatred…_ She picked up the candles and watched as the barrier charms on the floor burned away without help.

Her copper and bronze colored hair swished in the nonexistent wind as she gasped: something bad would happen and soon.

_It's time to search out the spiritual protectors…_ She thought as she touched the bagged urn. An exchange would be needed for the help she would request and the urn with its hostile ghost would suffice.

She bowed to the owners of the home she had just cleansed. "All is safe now, the spirit will no longer bother you in this home."

"Oh thank you!" The woman of the home cried as her husband offered the young Miko a bag on money.

"No…" She said as she held up her hand. "I do not take money, but if you are so compelled to give away some of your wealth please take it to the shrine as a donation of good faith." She smiled as she placed her hand with her monk beads still wound around it before the homeowners in a sign of blessing. "Let you and your family be in peace from now on…"

"Thank you dear Miko, without you we would have surely been killed by that demon."

She smiled, a sad smile before turning away from them, if only they knew the pain that had been caused to their spectral guest, surely they would have offered prayers up in hopes that it would be healed and find it's way to the after life.

But now was not the time to think of such things, she had to search out the way to the ruler of the spiritual protectors to warn him of the imminent danger that would soon befall him and his members.

Silent tears fell down her face as she felt the pain that would swallow them all.


	2. Chapter 1: The New Assignment

**A/N: Chapter one! Please enjoy the story.**

**Two reviews would be nice  
**

The Urameshi team sat outside of Koenma's office as usual.

"He always makes us come early when he's not ready to see us." Yusuke grumbled from where he leaned against the wall.

"Honestly Yusuke I always wonder how everyone deals with your attitude." Sophie answered as she walked up.

"You cut your hair." Yusuke noticed.

"Yes, I cut it. Out of respect." She murmured. Her hair that was once down to her thighs now just brushed past her shoulders just like her former partner. Peaking out from under her dark sea blue hair was a bright chunk of pink, the same color of the now dead girl.

The group fell silent as they thought back on the one time friend they all had.

Mattie was a bundle of life even though most only knew her for a brief month. She had bright spring green colored eyes and bubble gum pink hair that she constantly wore pulled back into miniature pigtails. She had seven different tattoos that all had a special meaning to her but only one in the group actually knew them all.

Hiei sat furthest away from the group, still harboring a grudge against everyone for the death of the girl. He and Mattie had a full but short-lived love. They were madly in love with each other and though they had only been with each other for barely half the month she was around he still bore deep feelings for her and teemed with anger from the wounds brought about by her death.

Sophie shook herself visibly. "Koenma's ready to see you guys." She murmured as if afraid to chase away the lingering images of the pink haired girl.

Yusuke nodded as he pushed off the wall and opened the doors to Koenma's office.

"I still think you look lovely even with the shorter hair…" Shuichi murmured as he kissed Sophie's cheek before following Kuwabara and Yusuke into the office.

Sophie smiled slightly before she grabbed Hiei's arm. "Later could you come by the apartment…?" She asked as she looked up into his eyes. "I think there's something you'll want…" Before he answered she let go and walked into the office.

"Hn." He snorted in retort but couldn't let go of the feeling that it might really be something he wanted.

Upon entering Koenma's office everyone's attention turned to the two-year old and the priestess.

"Uh…" The Miko started as she noticed the new arrivals. "Oh!" She started. "I'm sorry I didn't know you had company coming in I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time. Please excuse me." She headed to the door.

"No." Koenma answered stopping her. "These are the exact people you were asking me for. These are my spirit detectives." He turned his attention to the group. "It seems you all have a new assignment."

The Miko turned to the team. "Oh… Hello." She bowed to them. "I'm sorry for asking this of you Koenma but are you sure they will be able to handle my problem…?"

Koenma nodded. "These detectives are the finest there are. Sophie's intelligence sweep can't be beat." He turned to the group again. "I'm going to be loaning your services out for awhile." He gestured to the Miko. "This is Veleda. Her family has been known to be the best at exorcizing anything from anywhere."

"Veleda?" Sophie questioned. "You mean **the** priestess for all exorcisms in probably all of Japan?"

The girl in question blushed. "I wouldn't say that, but yes. I am Veleda." She turned to Koenma and pulled a small urn out of the velvet bag on her side. "In return for the help my family offers you a gift in return." She set the urn on his desk.

"Thank you, I'll get Botan to look at it immediately. Now then, Veleda and her family have been the protectors of several rare and dangerous artifacts. It just so happens that someone has stolen a very dangerous one." He looked at Veleda.

"Oh!" She peeped. "Yes. The object that was stolen is a round tube and in it my family had sealed an especially dangerous poltergeist. Unlike most poltergeists that are only out to torment people for their enjoyment this one has taken a liking to causing extreme harm to a person who crosses it's path.

"When we sealed it away we couldn't actually get rid of it therefore it was bound to the object so that if ever opened the poltergeist was under control of the one holding the seal, we were hoping to never have to use that object but it was a precaution. The one who has stolen this object has strong gifts with the dead and undead and it is extremely dangerous in his hands."

"If you already know who has the object why don't you go after him yourself?" Yusuke asked begrudgingly.

"Unfortunately Veleda's gifts of sight aren't perfect. She saw that it has been stolen but her gifts cannot tell her exactly who or where it is. That's where you'll be coming in. We're hoping to solve this problem quickly or not only will there be problems in the Ningenkai but also here in the Reikai and even in the Makai. This is a very dangerous object to be in the hands of anyone but the priests who have sealed it away. So you are to help Veleda find and take back the object by any means necessary." Koenma answered. "Sophie…"

The purple-eyed girl turned her attention back from trying to analyze Veleda. "Yes Koenma?"

"I want you to look for any clues you can possibly find. Limit your search to anyone who practices anything with the dead or undead. We need to find this person as soon as possible."

She nodded. "Of course."

"The rest of you will lend your strength to Veleda in any way that you can. She may not be part of this team but without her and her family the Ningenkai would be far worse off than it is now. You're dismissed."

Veleda watched the group go sullenly and put a hand against her heart. _So much pain and heartache…_ She thought to herself as she could feel tears threaten to fall down her face. _Was this the right thing to do…? Do they deserve what is about to befall them all…?_


	3. Chapter 2: Mattie's Gifts

**A/N: new chapter.**

**Two reviews please...  
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_Chapter 2_

_A Few Days Earlier_

Sophie pushed open the door to her former apartment, she hadn't returned since the time she had found Mattie on the floor several months earlier. She side stepped the small bloodstain on the carpet from that time and continued into the room.

_Why did I come here…?_ She thought as she scanned the room. _To finally let go…_ She reminded herself not for the first time. She sighed and started sifting through the things left behind. She laughed at the mess, she couldn't help it; Mattie was always messy. _Oh Mattie… I'll never understand how you could live with this mess. _She sighed and started picking up clothing shaking each item carefully before folding them, knowing that Mattie was known for stuffing something in the pockets of anything.

Halfway through the clothing Sophie picked up Mattie's school skirt and out fell her neon pink compact popping open as it hit the floor.

Sophie bent down and picked up the compact. _Mattie…_ She thought seeing that it had been damaged and used her nail to try to pry the make up off the keypad. "You had this for a month and you still managed to damage it…" She muttered as she finally pulled it free.

"Hello Sophie." Mattie's voice echoed through the room.

Sophie jumped and looked around. "Mattie…?"

"I shorted out the compact so that it would turn on as soon as you pried the makeup piece off. I'm not as computer illiterate as you thought."

Sophie looked down at the small screen to see the smiling face of her pink haired friend.

"How long has it been…?" She asked.

"Four months…" Sophie answered the electronic Mattie.

"It must be hard on all of you." The screen flickered for a moment. "How is Yusuke holding up? And you? How are you doing? You and I were partners for years in the WWPI. What about Hiei…? Better yet, don't tell me, I don't want to know." She smiled slightly in her screen. "I know you all must be suffering but you have to move on. You're tough you can do it. Please don't cry anymore. Everything happens for a reason." The bubble gum haired girl smiled again. "Oh!" She waved her hand at the compact. "When this ends there's going to be a little card that will pop out. Please give it to Hiei for me, okay? I'm not sure if he's still mad at me or whatever when I made this recording I didn't find out. Thanks Soph, you always did so much for me. Tell my brother I love him and go live your life Sophie, okay?" She smiled and waved at the screen as the image flickered and went out.

"Wait!" Sophie cried at the blank screen, tears weld up in her eyes. "Wait… Don't go…" The blue haired girl bit her lip as she fell onto the bed. "You knew this whole time that you weren't going to make it didn't you?" She sighed as she wiped away her tears. "Sometimes I think you played your life by that musical you loved so much." She laughed at that thought. "It's just like Rent; the one character everyone loved is the one that dies in the end. You didn't even give me or anyone else a say in the matter. Is this why you didn't want to tell Gary or Ken or even Bear what was happening to you? Why did you tell them in the end if you didn't want to be saved? Did something happen that made you change how you felt about your impending death? Or did you just want to make everyone feel like they at least did what they could to help you…?"

For a fleeting moment she truly considered asking someone to pull Mattie's soul back from heaven to finally answer the questions that tormented her but like every other time she considered it she brushed it away. "Botan was torn up enough about what happened to you and the fact that she had to be the one to take you to the other side, I don't know what would happen to her if I purposefully brought your soul back and made her have to do it all over again." She picked the small computer chip out of the side of the compact. "I'll try to get Hiei to take it. I can promise that but I can't promise anything else, but you already knew that didn't you?" She smiled slightly. "You were always two steps ahead of us this whole time and kept everyone in the dark, huh?"

Sophie shook her head as she pocketed the computer chip and went back to cleaning the mess. "Maybe I should have everyone come take something to remember you by… But you already knew I was going to do that too, huh?"

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Sophie opened the door and smiled. "Hey Yusuke thanks for coming."

"Yeah no problem…" He mumbled as he walked in.

"I wanted to let you pick something of Mattie's that you'd want to keep to remember her by." Sophie gestured to the stuff laid out. "It seems she had also picked out stuff for everyone and added a picture to indicate which she thought would go to whom."

Yusuke looked and noticed there was a picture of her with each person from the group. "I don't remember her taking those pictures."

"That's the point." Sophie pointed to the picture of Yusuke and Mattie; it was one of the times at school where Mattie had climbed into a tree and landed on Yusuke's lap. Mattie's face was all smiles while Yusuke looked totally shocked; it still made her laugh inwardly. "I think she wanted everyone to have a picture of 'in the moment' so that you can see just how much you're enjoying your time with her. Look, even though you looked completely shocked you're also smiling because you can't help but not smile when she smiles."

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah… No matter what she did if she was smiling while doing it her smile was always contagious and you couldn't be mad at her." He touched the object in front of his picture and smiled. Mattie had sown a stuffed chibified version of him and hung a bracelet around its neck.

"That's her earring…" The bracelet was of the one earning she had been wearing the day he met her and when they had gone training, a cloudy blue stone that looked remotely like the color of his Rei gun. He had made the comment that it was interesting that she only wore one earring on one side and that he had liked the stone, it seemed she had turned it into something for him to wear later on.

"Mmhmm…" Sophie answered. "If you want something else you can take anything."

Yusuke picked up the picture in its black frame along with the stuffed version of him and the bracelet. "Would you help me with this?" He asked as he held out the bracelet.

"Sure." Sophie smiled slightly as she hooked the bracelet onto his wrist. "Do you want to take Keiko her gift?" She pointed at the picture of Mattie and Keiko behind two stuffed versions of Keiko and Yusuke with their arms tied together with a delicate gold string.

"Yeah." He said as he smiled at the picture, Mattie had convinced Keiko to try on one of her outfits and Keiko looked totally uncomfortable but Mattie had pushed her out to show Yusuke who cute Keiko looked and he had to admit Keiko did look good in the more form fitting outfits Mattie wore. "Thanks Sophie."

"You're welcome. If you could tell Shuichi and Kuwabara they have stuff as well that would be great. I'm going to try to get a hold of Ken and Gary and Bear for their stuff."

"Of course."

With that Sophie closed the door behind Yusuke and looked back at the items.

Kuwabara had a picture of Mattie leap frog-ing over him as she did quite often with a stuffed version of him holding an orange sword to look like his Rei sword along with a Kendo bamboo practice sword. Shuichi's picture was of her pushing between Sophie and Shuichi, linking arms with both of them and pulling them forward. His stuffed version had a rose in its hair and a little green whip with tiny fake thorns on it. Somehow Mattie had preserved a bird's nest from the time she had climbed into a tree to place a baby bird back in its nest and in the preserved nest was a small bud growing.

At the end of the line of stuffed toys and pictures was a painting. It was Hiei's gift from the time Sophie had taken the picture of Mattie kissing him. In front of the painting was the stuffed figure of Hiei with a tiny sword but no picture. Sophie assumed that there was something like that on the disk she had and went over to the painting to tape the disk to the back of it.

Ken and Gary were going to get Mattie's rainbow outfit along with a picture of them singing together the night she had told them what was wrong with her and Bear would getting a picture of him holding her up in one arm along with the glass case that held his original designs for the tattoos Mattie had.

Sophie smiled as she touched the glittering necklace she had put on, a gift from Mattie that the pink haired girl had made herself and considered keeping one of the outfits Mattie was famous for.

_Even during this sad time you still know how to make everyone smile… You will always be you Mattie._ Sophie thought as she went off to contact the rest of the people.


	4. Chapter 3: Hiei

**A/N: Another chapter!**

**Please enjoy**

**Two reviews please

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_Chapter 3_

Sophie leaned against the wall beside the door to the apartment wondering, hoping, that Hiei would actually come.

"Hiei…" She smiled as he walked up to her.

"So what is it you wanted me to see?" He growled.

Sophie opened the door and gestured. "Go on in it's not going to bite you."

Hiei sneered as he went inside the apartment. "What's this?" He asked as he stared at the painting that sat right in front of him with the stuffed version of him with a sword.

"That would be the gift Mattie wanted me to give you…" Sophie answered as she leaned against the doorframe. "She gave everyone gifts, but you're the only one with a computer chip from her." She pointed at the painting. "I put it on the back."

Hiei touched the painting lightly.

"I think you should take it…"

Hiei's hand clenched before he sighed. "Fine…" He grabbed the items and turned to the door, Sophie moved into his way. "Move."

She held out another doll, this one looked like Mattie. "I'm sorry…" She murmured. "I was going to keep it if you didn't come get your stuff…" She held it out to him.

Hiei growled as he grabbed the doll and shoved past her.

_I wonder if he'll look at it…_ She thought.

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Hiei walked into his apartment and switched on the thin black laptop he had and smiled slightly at the background picture. Mattie had made Sophie hack the laptop to place the picture of their "first kiss" on his computer. The picture had been taken at just the right moment, right as she kissed him and just before he reacted. Putting the chip in he sat down and waited for it to start up.

"Hello Hiei…" The pink haired girl said as her image popped up on the screen, the image flickered slightly. "I'm sorry if it's a little damaged, it might have been scratched in the process of getting Sophie's attention." She smiled at the screen. "I'm hoping this is coming to you after we've discussed the 'if you were angry with me or not' thing and I assume it is or you wouldn't have gone to pick up your gifts. I wanted to check up on you, make sure you were moving forward in your life like you should be, but I'm betting you're not." Mattie sighed but smiled. "I wish what we had could have lasted forever but it didn't… We had an amazing love and it was short lived, but that doesn't mean that you get to sit here and wallow in self-pity. You have so much life ahead of you, hundreds upon thousands of years left! You can't always be upset about my death." She kissed her fingers and put them against the screen, Hiei's hand went up automatically to cover her's. "I love you Hiei. I will always love you and one day you can be here with me again but you better get your arse in gear now and live your life!" She smiled as the screen flickered again. "You have so much left… Try to smile again that smile I love so much. Show someone else just how amazing that smile truly is. I will never forget what we had together and I know you won't either, but it's time to move on…" A tear fell down her cheek as she smiled at him. "I love you Hiei and… goodbye…" The image of her disappeared.

Hiei's hand clenched in a tight fist as he stared at the background until he realized the chip had pulled up a folder. Upon opening it he saw tons of pictures that she had somehow taken of them together along with one of a concept art of what he assumed was going to be another tattoo for her. It was of a tribal dragon and a female holding its face with a smile; he smiled at it. Then he noticed several song files most of which he recognized, Mattie had sung them at the bar but two he didn't recognize so he clicked on the first one;

"You  
You

You are still a whisper on my lips  
A feeling at my fingertips  
That's pulling at my skin

You leave me when I'm at my worst  
Feeling as if I've been cursed  
Bitter cold within

Days go by and still I think of you  
Days when I couldn't live my life without you  
Days go by and still I think of you  
Days when I couldn't live my life without you  
Without you  
Without you

You are still a whisper on my lips  
A feeling at my fingertips  
That's pulling at my skin

You leave me when I'm at my worst  
Feeling as if I've been cursed  
Bitter cold within

Days go by and still I think of you  
Days when I couldn't live my life without you  
Without you  
Without you

Days go by and still I think of you  
Days when I couldn't live my life without you  
Days go by and still I think of you  
Days when I couldn't live my life without you  
Without you  
Without you  
Without you  
Without you  
Without you"

He sat back and chewed on his lip realizing that Mattie had given him that song on purpose and the other one was probably the same but he clicked on it anyway.

"Without you, the ground thaws

the rain falls

the grass grows

Without you, the seeds root

the flowers bloom

the children play

The stars gleam

the poets dream

the eagles fly

without you

The Earth turns

the sun burns

but I die, without you

Without you, the breeze warms

the girl smiles

the cloud moves

Without you, the tides change

the boys run

the oceans crash

The crowds roar

the days soar

the babies cry

without you

The moon glows

the river flows

but I die without you

The world revives

colors renew

but I know blue

only blue

lonely blue

Without you

Without you, the hand gropes

the ear hears

the pulse beats

Without you, the eyes gaze

the legs walk

the lungs breathe

The mind churns

the heart yearns

the tears dry without you

Life goes on

but I'm gone

'cause I die, without you

without you

without you

without you....."

He sat there in silence with a sad smile on his face. _You were always two steps ahead…_ He reached over and touched the small stuffed version of Mattie. _I wish I were there with you…_

His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. "What?" He answered.

"We've got a problem…"


	5. Chapter 4: A moment too Late

**A/N: Tada!!! Here's the new chapter!**

**Two reviews would be nice

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_Chapter 4_

Veleda paced up and down in front of Koenma's desk pulling on the piece of hair that tied in front of her shoulder then stopped and fingered her prayer beads that were tied on her arm, the doors pushed open to Koenma's office.

"So what's this problem?" Yusuke asked as he walked in.

Veleda's cloud blue eyes caught his gaze and for a brief moment watched the recent pain in his life hit him hard, those few months in the past, she turned away.

"Veleda's had a vision and came to me in hopes to stop what would happen but it seems that my best attempts to keep everything calm weren't enough; it turns out that my guards failed." Koenma answered.

"Stop beating around the bush and tell us what the hell happened." Yusuke snapped.

Veleda turned to the boy and his friends as they wandered in. "A soul has been stolen from heaven by the poltergeist."

Kuwabara's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Is that even possible?"

"It seems that it is." Koenma answered.

"But how?!?"

"The poltergeist is a spirit as well; it's easy for it to transgress through the layers of any world easily. It's not hard to think that whoever has taken the object can tell the poltergeist where to go and what to get. My other concern is who's soul was taken and why. I've begun to think that this person isn't just some random guy that has interest in the object at hand but could possibly be a Necromancer."

"Why do you think that?" Shuichi answered.

"A Necromancer would need a soul of a person long past to not only raise the body but also use that body for anything. It's more than likely the soul that was taken was one of a strong person politically, physically or spiritually, which means that this Necromancer has use for one or more of those things. It's also a test for the Necromancer to prove his abilities are strong enough to raise the dead and control that soul to do what he wants it to do."

"Do we know what soul was taken?"

"Unfortunately we have no idea so far which one has been removed. There are a lot of them to go through but I hope soon we'll be able find out who is missing and that should give us a clue as to how to find the Necromancer." Koenma answered. "Veleda will be joining the group to help find the missing soul and/or Necromancer before it's too late to even save the soul of the person."

"You mean that if we don't find or stop him soon we can't save them?" Sophie piped in from where she stood beside Shuichi.

"No…" Veleda answered as she fingered her prayer beads again. "I've seen what becomes of the souls forced back into their bodies and made to remain here on Earth… They go insane. Mentally falling apart and turning into zombies and even if you're lucky enough to detach the soul from their body by that time there remains nothing of that person and the soul is corrupted and unsalvageable, we will not be able to take that person back to heaven… We will have to destroy it…"

"Sophie, I want you to go and see if you can find anything unusual in any of the graveyards around here." Koenma said, turning his attention to the purple-eyed girl.

"Of course Koenma." She answered and left.

"The rest of you will have to wait for any information from either Veleda or Sophie on where the Necromancer is heading to raise the body."

"How long do we have until the body is turned into a zombie…?" Kuwabara asked.

"It depends on the soul… anywhere from a few days to a month at most. I have never seen it go past a month." Veleda answered. With that she bowed and left, no longer able to handle the things she could see in their lives. _The pain is so immense…_ Her mind whirled with images of a bright-eyed girl who was always smiling in their minds except for one. The red-eyed boy's mind spun on images of the same girl but showed a time of her crying.

Veleda entered the holy center of the shrine she lived at, sitting down before the ever burning fire and gazed back into the images of the girl they had all loved and lost wondering if this was what she saw in the foreboding future.

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"Hey!!" Sophie shouted as she jumped out of her chair startling the boys on the other side. "I think I got something!!"

"What is it?" Yusuke mumbled.

"Here." She pointed to a graveyard on her computer screen. "I'm getting a weird signature from that graveyard I think something's happening there."

"Let's go guys." Yusuke turned and headed out of the building. "Get your visuals up Sophie, find out who this guy is and who he's trying to raise from the dead. We have limited time before we lose this person for good."

Sophie nodded though she knew he had already left and set to work.

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As the gang reached the graveyard they spotted the Miko that had set them on this mission slowly making her way across the plaques marking the lost loved ones buried under her feet.

"How'd she get here before us?" Kuwabara asked as they approached her.

"She's a psychic. I'm sure she was doing her own version of surveillance and noticed something odd here." Shuichi answered.

Veleda's head shot up from where she was looking at a grave moments before she took off, vaulting over the older upright headstones.

"Come on!" Yusuke started. "She's on to something and I highly doubt she can defend herself from a physical attack."

The guys followed behind her and skidded around a large tree only to stop within inches of smashing into her.

"I'm too late…" She murmured as she looked at the ritual circle of blood and black candles. "He's raised the person…"

The group looked down at the goat that was still freshly bleeding.

"Just by a few seconds…" She continued tears filled her eyes. "A few seconds earlier and I could have saved this soul…"

Kuwabara noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned his head just in time to see the fleeting image of a pink haired girl disappearing around the church.

_It couldn't be…_ He told himself as he struggled with the image of what he had just seen. _Could it…?_


	6. Chapter 5: One World Controlled

**A/N: Chapter 5**

**Enjoy

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_Chapter 5_

In a dark room a man smiled, a wicked sneering smile. "Finally…" He said as he moved his hand from the side of his face to the arm of his throne like chair. "My dream will soon be realized… A world under one control with an army of people that never second guess your orders, the perfect soldiers." He smiled again. "Everything will be perfect in my utopian world, all under my rule." He snapped his fingers and a girl stepped forward, her eyes dull and lifeless. "You will be my first soldier, my first perfect controlled person." He stood and went to her, lifting some of her pink hair to his lips. "You'll never fight against my orders, you'll never back down." He ran his finger down her cheek and neck. "You won't even want to fight back against me…" He sighed. "Too bad you were already defiled… You are truly a magnificent creature…" He moved back to his chair and snapped his fingers again, the pink haired girl went to him and knelt beside his chair; he petted her hair as if she were a dog.

"Where is that poltergeist when you need it?" The man sneered.

The wistful spirit floated in, bowing low. "Yes Tynan?"

"Enter the girl's body to be sure you can control her and use her to steal something for me. Prove to me that she is fully under your control when you enter her body. We don't want her getting away from us; she's quite a useful tool." He smirked at the girl, her once bright green eyes faded with the lifelessness left behind.

"Of course…" The poltergeist answered.

"And hurry up with digging out those memories of hers. We must know how they fight and what their weaknesses are."

"Yes… It will be done…"

The man smiled and lifted the pink haired girl's face to look at him. "You are my secret weapon." His thumb brushed over the tattooed snake on her cheek. "Absolutely beautiful…"

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Veleda shuddered, her eyes fluttering. "Such a dark and evil man…" She murmured as she opened her eyes. "I know that girl." She stood up, brushing out her outfit. "This will not be good…"

Moving silently through her temple Veleda gazed at all the items collected by her family. _An item to steal…_ her gaze landed on a tiny crystal bottle. Her thoughts raced as she stared at the unassuming object.

One of the most dangerous objects placed in her family's possession the tiny crystal bottle held a demonic energy that boosted the power of the person who opened it. The demonic power also ate away the person's sanity causing them to fall to the voice of the power doing exactly what it wants them to do. In the wrong hands the demonic power could destroy everything.

"I know what they want…" She murmured.

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_Where am I…?_ _It's so dark and cold…_ Her eyes opened as she gazed around the bleak darkness that had engulfed her. _What is this place…? How did I get here…?_ She thought back to the days, moments, before.

_**She leaned against the wall of the glowing city she now lived in; her bright spring green eyes scanned everything around her. 'This is probably the most boring place I have ever been…' she thought to herself. 'Nothing bad can or will ever happen here, only the "good" can enter this place…' She watched as the people meander around without a care in the world.**_

_**She shook her pink hair back from her face and sighed; she missed everyone, **__**him**__** in particular. She missed his smile, his touch, his energy, just him.**_

"_**Hello." A man walked up to her with a smile.**_

"_**Hello." She murmured turning her attention away from him.**_

"_**I can take you back…" He sneered.**_

"_**Just go away." She answered, she knew better than to believe such trivial things.**_

_**The man sighed. "I wish you could have made this easy…" And suddenly his particles intertwined with hers and dragged her away.**_

_He took me away…_ She thought as her eyes closed. _He pulled me back into the human world. Into this shell I had left behind… To use me…_ She gripped her hair in her hands and tugged unable to pull it out._ I have to fight back… I have to keep them from using me against them, against __**him**__._

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A black van pulled up at a corner and stopped, opening up the side door to let out the girl.

"You know what you need to get for me." A voice sounded. "Get me that item using her body to prove to me that you have total control over her when in her body."

"Of course sir." The girl answered before stepping out and looking around.

As the van left the girl smiled, a dark smile. _So easy to manipulate…_

_**That's what you think.**_She answered back finally. _**I won't let you.**_

The poltergeist hissed in reply and forced her body to move towards the temple. It put on a bright smile as it forced her body further into the temple, searching for the item. _I will get that item!_ It hissed.

_**NO! **_The girl's spirit answered back as she struggled against the poltergeist's control. An idea hit her and she quickly jammed her mind full of other thoughts to keep it from seeing what she was thinking. In her struggles she finally took control of her own body and staggered from the temple and down into the town letting a tiny part of her hope that her idea would work.

Veleda leaned out from the corner she had been hiding behind, a bow in hand empty of arrows. "She's fighting back…" She murmured as she turned and watched the pink haired girl struggle with her weak control. "Maybe we can fight together…"

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Kuwabara turned the corner to enter his house and stopped dead in his tracks. _This can't be real!_ He thought to himself. _But no one else has those tattoos…_ He watched as a pink haired girl struggled, stumbled and then slowly made her way out of sight. _It can't be…_ He turned and pulled out his cell phone.

"Botan?" He asked as he heard the phone pick up.

"What's up?" She answered.

"Did Mattie pass on? Or did her soul stay here on Earth?"

Botan was silent for a moment. "She passed on… Why…?"

"I just saw her."


	7. Chapter 6: Dead End Date

_Chapter 6_

Sophie cried out in frustration. "Damn it!"

Shuichi's head shot up over the back of the couch. "Did you just swear?"

Sophie growled loudly before crossing her arms over her chest in protest. "I can't find ANYTHING!!" She yelled as she jumped out of the chair, storming up and down the front of her desk. "There's nothing on anyone who would steal an object from a shrine let alone something that dangerous. I haven't found anything indicating any recent cataloging of Necromancy abilities. There hasn't been a necromancer since the eighteen hundreds." She stopped. "Unless he's kept himself a secret for this long, there's nothing anywhere on any system about him."

Shuichi watched Sophie pace continuously for several moments before he added in his thoughts. "Do you think it's not a necromancer?"

She shook her head. "It's not possible to raise a body unless you have some form of necromancy in your system. I've already tried looking down that path anyway." Before Shuichi could think about something else Sophie continued. "I've also looked at demons and regular humans. There are no demons high enough level in the Ningenkai to warrant necromancy type abilities and no regular humans have enough spiritual energy to perform the ritual. Either this man is that good ay hiding himself from everyone or he's not even alive himself."

"Well we know he has to be living, to perform the ritual you have to have living spiritual energy."

"I know…" Sophie huffed still frustrated. "I've hit a dead end. I can't find anything." She slumped to the floor burying her face in her hands.

"Hey…" Shuichi murmured as he came around the couch and knelt in front of her. "Maybe you just need to take a break from your work; you haven't left the house in days."

Sophie moaned and flopped onto the floor. "I can't…"

Shuichi sighed, tickling her stomach lightly. "Come on… When's the last time we've been on a date?"

Sophie shot up, her eyes opening wide and sparkling with happiness. "A date?"

Shuichi smiled at her. "Yeah, we'll go on a date, go get dressed in something you want to wear out."

"Where will we go?"

"Tsk tsk tsk. That's cheating. It's a surprise, now go get dressed."

She smiled and leapt off the floor running into the shared bedroom.

Shuichi smiled at her retreating back then plucked the vibrating cell phone out of his pocket. "Hello Yusuke… No she's not been able to locate anything on the suspected necro… if Koenma wants to put you on another case then go we're at a dead end here. Maybe Kuwabara or Hiei should go see that priestess Veleda and see if she's had any type of vision regarding the body that has been taken or the soul or even the guy… Yeah I'll notify you as soon as she's found something." He sighed closing his phone and wondered, not for the first time, if Yusuke, and possibly Hiei, was using this new case as a way to push past the death of the girl they all missed.

"Ready?" Sophie questioned.

Shuichi shook his head to clear his thoughts and smiled. "Of course." He held his arm out for Sophie which she took with a smile.

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Shuichi walked over to Sophie holding a cup of ice cream out to her. "No thinking about work."

Sophie shook her head and smiled taking the cup. "I know I'm trying not to." She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder as he sat down. "It's so nice to have you to myself finally."

"It's nice to finally have you away from that computer." Shuichi answered.

Sophie blushed. "I'm sorry… I just wanted to catch this man."

Shuichi kissed her head and sighed. "I know… I do too."

Sophie leaned back slightly and brushed her lips against Shuichi's. "I love you…"

Shuichi smiled at her. "I love you too."

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Yusuke groaned shoving his hands in the pockets of his school uniform. "I can't believe he's made us come out here just to catch some low level demons that are robbing some stores…"

Kuwabara scanned the area outside the broken jewelry store window. "Well we need to do something while Sophie or Veleda find us a new clue on our suspect."

"That's true Yusuke." Botan piped in as she scanned the area with one of her tools. "We're going to have to sit on our hands until we can get something useful."

Yusuke kicked a shard of glass by his shoe. "This sucks…"

"Oh hey look over there." Botan said as she pointed to a group of odd looking boys.

"They're demons." Kuwabara answered as he walked over to her.

"I'll bet they know something about the robbery or were involved." Yusuke said joining them.

"Let's find out shall we?" Kuwabara walked over to the group. "Hey guys." He said as he approached them. "Think you can help me out with what happened here?"

The guys stared up at Kuwabara, whispered among themselves then decidedly scattered.

"HEY!!" Kuwabara chased off after two of them while Yusuke went after the other three.

"Why can't they ever make it easy for us?" Yusuke growled.

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Yusuke tossed the guys he had knocked out before Botan as she readied a transport for them. "I'm so sick of these kinds of demons…"

"Yeah, me too." Kuwabara answered as he brought his over to add to the pile of unconscious low-class demons.

"I wonder how many more of these we're going to have to do until Sophie can find us any information…" Yusuke muttered.

"We could go ask Veleda." Botan answered.

"Let's go." Yusuke answered.

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Yusuke and Kuwabara huffed up the last step to the temple.

"I can't believe there are so many steps to enter this damn place…" Yusuke wheezed.

"I can't believe she still lives here." Kuwabara added.

"Can I help you?" A small girl asked carrying a broom two times her height.

"We're looking for Veleda."

The girl blinked her eyes the same color as Veleda's, a cloud blue. "Did sissy do something wrong?"

"No no, we're just curious about something that she's helping us with. Is she around?"

"This way." She said running off into the temple, Yusuke and Kuwabara followed. "This is her room." She said as she pointed to a door.

"Thanks." Yusuke pushed open the door. "Veleda!" he cried as he saw the girl unconscious on the floor.


	8. Chapter 7: What She Knew Then and Now

**A/N: Tada Chapter 7**

**Enjoy

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_Chapter 7_

Images swam through her mind, faster and faster and faster still. She flowed with them watching each flash by so vividly and quickly; it was all she could do from tearing her mind apart. Images like faded black and white movies to bright color, far brighter than true nature. Each image tore at her heart and mind, sad images, happy images and even images of murderous intent.

As suddenly as they came they stopped, landing on one, pulling her deep inside, forcing her to live out the image she saw.

_A person cloaked in black walked through the back allies, the hood pulled over their head covered their face in dark shadows, not a soul would be able to make out who they were._

_Stopping in a crowded path between buildings they pushed their hood back revealing a girl with vivid green eyes and ink black hair, the color that was only achieved with chemicals and dies. Her eyes held contempt and pure evil intentions; she smirked and pulled the hood back on._

_Sliding silently through the paths she stopped and waited for something or someone._

"_I know you're there…" She hissed her voice dripped with malicious intent. "Why don't you come on out…?"_

_Another person slid out of the shadows, another girl. This girl was bulkier, her body covered in tattoos and muscles, her head shaved. "Why be a pussy and cover yourself up like that?" She sneered as she fingered the gun in the back of her pants._

"_So I don't get your blood on me." The other girl answered._

_The tattooed girl pulled out her gun and began firing away at the cloaked girl who dodged and veered through the tight alleyway._

"_Gotcha…" She hissed as she leapt over the girl and brought a knife across her neck._

_Blood sprayed out as the tattooed girl dropped her gun and slumped to the dirty pavement, the other one pushed her hood off, wiping away some blood that had splattered back and hit her cheek._

"_More blood, more death…" Suddenly the girl's malicious look in her eyes faded and for an instant one could see the actual regret that had started settling inside her. "Just like a snake…" She touched the cheek that the blood had hit as a thought struck her. "I'll make sure no one forgets what I am…" With that she turned, pulling her hood back into place._

The image of the place shattered leaving the cloaked girl standing alone in the darkness.

"I know you can hear me…" She murmured. "You've been listening this whole time but I just didn't know it until now. But I know you're there now. Your mind accepts the voices of the dead just like it accepts the images of the past, present and future, and now it's my turn to speak up.

"You see I've been fighting since the day my mother died… You saw one of the moments that changed my life." The cloaked girl turned and pushed back the hood revealing the bright green eyes and now bubble gum pink hair. "I got so tired of fighting that when I found out I was going to die I was actually relieved, at least at first I was.

"Then I found out I had a half brother, sperm donation, the man that was supposed to be my father didn't produce fertile sperm and, at the time, Atsuko and her husband donated his sperm which my family ending up getting. Isn't it weird? I'm related to Yusuke by a fluke accident, we're even almost the same age…" A tear slid down her cheek. "I guess I should be happy about that, if it hadn't turned out the way it did I would have never met him and I would have never known just how alike we were. And, without him, I would have never met Hiei."

She stopped biting her lip as she struggled with herself. "Because of Hiei and Yusuke I actually began to regret my impending death but I knew that I couldn't be like that, that I had to accept my fate, and in the end I did. I was able to die in complete fulfillment. For you see I always knew my life was to be short though I didn't think it would be such a tragic event for so many people. I had expected to die and no one even know who I was, just some other street rat that died and wasn't out to harm people anymore.

"I need your help now. _**They **_need your help. Someone's going to hurt them with the worse possible weapon to ever use against someone. Please, when that time comes you must stop that man even if you have to do something terrible that will hurt everyone. You must help me, you have to stop him. I know I'm asking you to do something that's against your nature but please; you're the only one who can do this. The only one not connected to this incident. The only one who can fight back without the crippling pain. The only one that doesn't know _**me**_."

The pink haired girl smiled, a sad bitter smile. "Yes… It's me. I'm the one… I'm sure you already knew this though. I'm sure you've known it just like you knew that you had no choice but be two steps behind that man, or how this will play out in the end. Subconsciously you let this happen, you let the story play out. I'm not mad at you, you're doing just as fate told you to do; you never had a choice in this. I know you wanted a choice, you would have stopped it all from happening but that's not how this works is it?"

The girl smiled and held out her hand. "Help me. Help me… HELP ME!!!" She screamed shattering the illusion completely.

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Veleda sat up gasping. She didn't question her surroundings; part of her already knew where she was. Her hand went to her face and came back wet. _Tears…_ She thought as she moved her head enough to shift the hair to cover her face. She cried silent tears for the girl who had known her fate from the moment she was born.


	9. Chapter 8: To Save Her from Her Plight

**A/N: Due to difficulties this story seems to be wrapping up faster than anticipated. I cannot tell you for sure how many chapters are left but I know it's not many.**

**I hope ya'll have enjoyed this story and I should be writing another soon.**

**Reviews are all appreciated**

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_Chapter 8_

The pink haired girl opened her eyes slowly, her naked body floating in the darkness as she clung tight to something in her arms. _I won't let them use me against you… _ She folded back her hands slightly to cup what she had been protecting so hard; it was a glowing orb.

The orb illuminated the darkness around her as she gazed down into it. Pictures danced across the surface, she smiled bitterly. _This is all I have left… I won't let them take it away._ She covered the glowing orb again just as the image of four guys and a girl came into view.

She squeezed one hand into a fist and a smaller glowing orb formed. _I have to help… _She pressed the smaller globe to the near invisible string that ran out from her body. _Please… Help me… Save them…_

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Veleda cried out as she grabbed her head, shrieking in protest of the images that had been suddenly forced into her mind. "No more…" She begged as tears fell down her cheeks.

The door burst open as Yusuke and Shuichi ran in.

"What is it?!?" Yuske shouted as he noticed Veleda on the hospital bed screaming.

As soon as it had started Veleda stopped screaming and slumped forward to the floor.

"Veleda!" Shuichi jumped forward and caught the girl. "She's unconscious again." He murmured as he put her back on the bed.

"What do you think caused her to freak out like that?" Yusuke asked as he closed the door behind them.

"I don't know…" Shuichi answered.

"Do you think she saw something?" Kuwabara asked as he came up to the other two.

"It's possible. It may explain why she was holding her head."

"I guess we'll have to ask when she wakes up." Yusuke mulled.

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Hiei leaned against the wall in an alleyway.

"So you came." The large burly man said as he pushed open the door to his bar.

"Yeah I came Bear…" Hiei answered as he pushed off the wall and walked inside.

"You know it would break Mattie's heart to see you like this." He muttered as he sat down in his well-worn work chair, it groaned and sighed under him.

"Well obviously she can't see me." Hiei answered in a dark tone; he didn't like this subject with anyone.

Bear leaned forward resting his hairy tattooed arms on the desk before him. "You know you can't keep holdin' on like that she ain't commen back and we all know how hard it is to lose her. Then you commen here lookin' for work." He leaned back and crossed his arms over his massive chest. "I don't do that kind of work no more."

Hiei slammed his hand on the desk. "I know you can still get information for me."

Bear stared down at the man before him. "Mattie won't want you doin' that kind of stuff."

"Mattie's not here anymore." Hiei seethed. "She can't stop me."

"What's this really about? You tryin' to go out and get yerself killed? Is that it? You want to go hunten down men in hopes that one o' them will kill yeh? Do yeh honestly think that Matts would talk to yeh if yeh got yerself killed and go to heavens? I think she'd be pickled mad." Bear's deep southern accent began to slowly come out.

Hiei glowered at the man. "Don't act like you know what she's thinking or how she would feel about this. She's not here anymore. She's never coming back so you either help me or you don't."

"Contrary to yer ideas I thank I know what our little Missy thought and felt longer before yeh did. An' fer Lans-sake doncha do doodley-squat that'll git yer in a lick o' trouble. Cawse I thank ersoften she comes around to see if we're all okay. Right now I thank yeh ain't got a grain o' sense in yer little head. Now git on with ya! Git outta here, nemmine yeh about crazy stuff like that." With that Bear shooed Hiei from his office and slammed the door before he could protest.

Hiei stood there fuming; he would not let this go. Just as he turned to kick in the door to the bar his phone rang. "What?!?" He snapped. His eyes widened for a moment then turned into slits as an evil smile played across his lips. "Yeah I'll be right over…"

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Veleda shot up instantly and regretted it her head swam. She groaned, putting a hand to her head. _It feels like I was hit with a ton of bricks… _ Then she remembered what happened. _It was that girl again. It has to be. She's the only one that knows I'm helping the spirit detectives_ She carefully thought back to what the images were that she had seen. _Oh my…_ The light dawned on her as she realized what she had seen. _Does she still have that much control to send me images of things she's seen? Can this really be what I think it is? _

Slowly she picked each image apart and put them together in a different order; she gasped. _She's shown me where they're hiding. I can't believe it! She's risking everything to do this for us._

"Veleda?" A voice questioned from the door as it opened slowly.

"Yes?"

"Oh good you're awake." Shuichi walked in. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I know where they're hiding."

Shuichi stopped for a moment until it dawned on him. "You know where the man that stole your item is hiding?"

She nodded.

"How?"

"I saw it." She tapped her head. "In here. It took me a minute to realize what I had seen but I know where they are now."

"That's great! I'll go tell the others."

She needed as she slid out of the bed. "I'll meet up with everyone shortly. I need to get something." With that she slid from the room glancing at Yusuke as he picked up his phone and called someone. _I have one shot at this…_ She thought as she raced to her temple and up the stairs. _One shot to stop that man, one shot to enslave the poltergeist again._ She ripped open the doors to her scared chamber. _One shot to save the girl… _


	10. Chapter 9: A Monster in a Human Guise

_Chapter 9_

Veleda stopped and stared into the ever-burning fire in the center of her sacred room; images flickered in the dancing flames. Slowly she sat down and watched silently.

Images of a man clothed in black ran through the dark streets terrorizing everyone and everything in his path as he hunted in blood lust. Visions of a black haired boy going into the demon world and releasing vast amounts of demonic energy, turning into a true demon. Visions of a fox youkai stealing the world's most valued treasures and a girl with electronic armaments to help her. Each image of each person changed showing him or her in a different position in life, a different path they had chosen to follow. All except one, the boy clothed in black. Only two images appeared for him, blood lust or near solitude.

Were these images of a future undecided that she was seeing? Did these images portray the path they could choose depending on the outcome of what she was about to do? Could she handle the outcome of her part in the near future? Did she even have a choice?

Veleda sighed heavily, she knew her decision was already set. There was no way to go around it; she would do what she had to, to help the girl who came to her. She stood and walked around the fire to a small alcove in the back, a tiny spring gathered there forming a shallow pool. Stripping her priestess clothing she slid into the water and began to cleanse her body; a ritual she had to do every time she planned to use her abilities to deal with any type of spirit.

After her cleansing she dressed again and began to pull items she would need to help her in any way possible to fight the man who had stolen not only an object from her family but a soul from heaven.

_No soul deserves to be trapped in a corpse and made to slowly rot away its existence lost to madness._ Veleda strung her bow before she placed it across her back. _Especially not one with such a pure hear t… _She sighed before closing the door to her chamber then began to make her way to something she knew would not only change her but change all those involved.

Once more she thought to herself, _Was this the right thing to do…? _But she knew the answer to that. _Yes… This was needed to help not only those touched by the pain but to help me grow and learn as well. I __**will**__ do all that's in my powers to help her with her task…_

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Kuwabara sat next to Yusuke as they waited for the priestess to return, he shifted around uneasily.

"What's up Kuwabara? You've been acting weird since the graveyard." Yusuke asked.

Kuwabara sighed. "I've been thinking… Is it possible that the person he raised was Mattie…?"

The group turned to him, a mix of shock and hostility on their faces.

"You're lucky Hiei isn't here to hear you say that." Sophie hissed as she quickly looked around. "What gives you such an absurd idea anyway?"

"Well…" He rubbed the back of his head. "At the graveyard I saw a girl with pink hair going around the church just as we came up to the ritual site and another time when I was heading home a girl that looked exactly like her from her hair color to tattoos and clothing choice stumbled across the street."

Yusuke moved into Kuwabara's personal space. "And why didn't you say something before?"

Kuwabara backed up. "Well I thought it was her ghost, I thought maybe she didn't want to pass on, and then I asked Botan and she said she took Mattie to heaven so I thought maybe it could be her that the crazy guy decided to raise from the dead."

"What would he want with her? She has no political prowess." Sophie questioned.

"I know why…" Shuichi finally piped in, they all turned to look at him. He turned to look at the group. "She's our friend."

"What?" Yusuke asked as he tried to grasp at Shuichi's train of thought.

"Think about it. Of course Koenma would send us on a mission after that guy when he stole an object that could affect the human world so it would make sense to raise Mattie from the dead and use her as his personal bodyguard. I mean would any one of us here raise a finger against Mattie? It makes perfect sense; she would be the ultimate defense against us."

"That's sick." Sophie snapped. "How would he even know about her anyway? I doubt he'd do something like that."

"And why not?" Veleda asked as she came into view. "Shuichi makes a valid point. If this man truly wanted to keep all of you from hurting him that would be the exact thing to do. I have seen sick things, I would not put it past this person to do such a thing." She stopped before the group. "If I were him I would have studied any and all groups that would come after me to try and stop me and find all weaknesses to exploit. Being that this man is a Necromancer and you have recently lost a friend it makes total sense that he would be twisted enough to raise her from the dead and use her as a personal bodyguard to keep any one of you from doing anything. Whatever his agenda is he will stop at nothing to reach it. You all need to be prepared for the worse." She turned and walked back the way she came. "I'm going to stop this man. None of you have to come with me if you fear that he's done the exact thing all of you hope he hasn't, but I will stop at nothing to destroy his plans, even if I have to go up against her."

With that Veleda left the team to decide their fate, do they go with the Miko and help her all while fearing if the Necromancer they soon will be facing has defiled the grave of the girl they all loved dearly or do they stay behind and never know what will happen.


	11. Chapter 10: Her Lecture

**A/N: Sad to say that this story is ending on the next chapter. Due to issues the story has ended a lot faster than I wished.**

**There is still one more chapter after this so don't count it out yet.**

**Reviews Please

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_Chapter 10_

Veleda moved up to the "abandoned" warehouse feeling the pressure ooze out. Spirits pressed against her whispering their warnings.

"Turn back…" They said. "Turn back… Don't go in. Turn away. There's nothing here that you seek."

She pushed onward brushing away their fake warnings, knowing full well that they were sent out here to ward off most passer-biers. As she moved closer their warnings got stronger and stronger; finally she had enough. _Silence!_ She commanded in silent strength and the spirits dissipated around her. _Just illusions… Not True spirits…_ She told herself as she stopped and watched silently.

A hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder sending a spike of panic through her and forcing her to jam back her elbow, the person caught it.

"Dang, you know you really should learn some physical defense stuff. You're kinda weak."

Veleda looked over her shoulder to see Yusuke smiling at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well I figured you would need some looking after, which I was correct. And I figured that if this guy really did go after my sister like that I should be the one to put him back in his place."

"You really loved her didn't you?"

Yusuke looked down at the small girl, just now realizing she was barely over five feet, and smiled slightly. "Yeah, I loved my sister. She meant the world to all of us."

Veleda's lip twitched and she looked away. _What have I done…?_ She asked herself.

_**Exactly what you needed to do…**_ A voice answered back.

Veleda sighed in response; she knew that that would be the answer she received to her question but she still didn't like it; her head shot up. _She's fading._ She thought suddenly, she knew the voice that had answered was none other than the girl that was hiding behind the boarded up windows of the warehouse. _We're loosing her. _There wasn't much time left before they lost the girl altogether and she couldn't have that.

"Well come on…" She murmured to Yusuke. "Even one more person helps."

"Oh I'm not alone." Yusuke answered.

Veleda turned to see Shuichi, Kuwabara and the ever-elusive Hiei walked into view. "Looks like everyone came."

Sophie peeked around the corner. "How'd you know I was here too?"

Veleda smiled slightly. "Energy patterns. Each one of you gives off a different type that I can associate with the different person so I know who is here." She turned. "We're running out of time." With that she moved off silently to the door of the warehouse.

Yusuke grabbed her arm and pushed her back into Kuwabara as he kicked the door open. "Hey you creep!" He shouted into the darkness. "We're coming in to get you!"

A sudden blast of air rushed against Yusuke pushing on him until a piece of paper flew up before him and dispelled the wind, he turned to look around.

"It looks like you also need spiritual protection." Veleda answered as she retired her prayer beads around her arm.

"I've been waiting for you Miko…" A snake-like voice called out of the darkness. "I see you brought back up. My, my so many hostile energy signatures out there, they all can't be mad at me can they? No matter… Why don't you step in?"

Veleda moved up to Yusuke and touched his arm. "It's me he wants, let me go first." She murmured as she pushed forward not giving him a chance to argue. She stepped into the inky blackness and pulled out several candles. "Illuminate…" She whispered and the wicks suddenly burst into light before lifting and floating around her. "Stay in the light of the candles…" She called to the people behind her. "You never know what trickery he has waiting for you out in the black night he has created."

A sickening laugh echoed in the room. "You're far too wise for your true age. Here, I shall even the field and take away my night so you can see I have not set any traps for you."

The darkness lifted to reveal a long, wide empty room with a platform at the far end. On the platform was a chair and in the chair sat an extremely skinny looking man.

He smiled, baring yellowed teeth, and waved his hand. "You see? Nothing to harm you here."

Veleda didn't move her eyes away from the man before her. "I see that, but I also know that you are a Necromancer and just because there is nothing to see with the eye there is always something lurking hidden away from view."

"Such distrust in someone so young…" He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I should teach you some manners."

Yusuke shot forward. "You're a sick man, trying to use the souls of the dead to raise a zombie. I'll kick your ass!!" He shouted as he charged but the ground before him exploded. As the dust settled a new figure could be seen beside the man.

"No…" Sophie murmured from the back of the group. "I didn't want to believe it, I didn't think…"

"I warned you…" Veleda cut her off as she stared at the new figure.

The man laughed as the dust finally settled and the image was finally clear, the pink haired girl they had all loved dearly now stood between them and their target. "Isn't she amazing? She'll do anything I tell her to do without question. She's absolutely perfect." He smiled and reached out to touch her hair.

"Don't touch her you sick bastard!" Yusuke shouted as he charged towards the platform.

"Teach him a lesson."

The pink haired girl turned and vanished, only to reappear beside Yusuke. Her lifeless green eyes bored into him just before she slammed her fist into his gut sending him back into the group. She slid back into the boxing stance she always took when she was ready to fight.

"Damn it…" Yusuke cursed as he pushed to his feet. "She's so fast."

"That's right… You see I can tap into the abilities she had before she died. That amazing acceleration technique she hadn't be able to perfect is not only perfected here in death but also enhanced. She's not only faster but also stronger. She's the perfect body guard."

"Mattie…" Sophie chirped. "Don't you recognize us? Don't you know who we are?" She moved forward. "We're your friends. Come on Mattie, wake up." She moved closer to the girl in question. "Please… Don't let him do this to you…" She was within range of the girl now, reaching out to touch her.

"Stop!" Veleda shouted before she ran over to Sophie, knocking her to the ground just as the green eyed girl swung a punch right where Sophie was just standing. She pulled Sophie back to the group. "Don't touch her. She's not your friend anymore. She's just a doll used by that man to confuse you. She's nothing but an empty shell, a corpse! There's no one in there anymore. She doesn't know who you are or who you were to her before she died; all she cares about is doing what he's telling her to do. She's not the girl you knew." She knew she was lying but there was nothing she could do about it, she had to make them think that the body before them didn't harbor the soul of their dead friend but was an empty corpse; she needed to move fast.

The man laughed. "What a lie… You know as well as I do that her soul is in that body there or else I wouldn't be able to use the abilities she had once before."

"Muscle memory." Veleda answered back in hopes to keep the others influenced by the lie. "It's in the corpse's muscle memory."

He sighed. "You just want them to believe you."

Veleda flinched inwardly but stood her ground. "I have something you want more than a silly dead body."

"And what could that possibly be?"

"This." She pulled out a small crystal vial and held it up. "The demon essence. It's said to heighten the abilities of the consumer. The power it grants is unimaginable." She smiled. "I propose a trade. You give me the poltergeist charm and I will give you the demon essence."

The man sneered. "I will do no such thing! Get it!" He shouted and the pink hair girl charged.

Veleda raced to reach for her sealing charms but was knocked back. "Hiei?" She gazed up from the spot on the ground.

"Whatever you're trying to do you better hurry up." He snapped as he pulled back and slammed his fist into the gut of the girl he once loved.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Right…" She threw the papers on the ground and untangled the beads from around her arm. "Be as I command thee!" She called to the beads and instantly they transformed into a knife, cutting her arm with it she smeared her blood on the strips of paper and threw it into the air. _This has to work…_

She knelt and began chanting, her words blurring together. Faster and faster she chanted and suddenly a barrier shot up around the pink hair girl as an unearthly scream tore from her throat.

"What are you doing?!?" The man shouted as he leapt from his chair.

Hiei appeared behind him. "This is what happens to you when you make me hurt someone important…" He hissed silently to the man before he beheaded him.

"All the power in the world couldn't save him from Hiei…" Sophie murmured as she watched her friend writher in pain, beating against the barrier around her. "What's happening?"

"I don't know…" Shuichi murmured as he put a hand on Sophie's shoulder.

Suddenly mist shot from the pink haired girl's body and descended upon Veleda.

"Look out!!" Yusuke shouted as he tried to push her away but the candles that had once encircled them with light now kept him from touching the Miko.

The mist engulfed her as she cried out but didn't move.

While all eyes had turned to watch the priestess struggle with the spectral essence the girl behind the barrier woke up.

Her once lifeless eyes glittered like the spring as she turned to see everyone. "Guys…?" She called.

They all turned. "Mattie?!?"

Veleda stood, breathing heavily. _You only have a few minutes. That's all I can grant you…_

Mattie turned to the priestess. _Thank you… I know what you did… You took that creature inside you._ She turned to the group. "Hey…"

"Mattie…?" Hiei moved to the group as he stared at her.

She smiled. "I'm back, if only for a little bit." She looked around at the barrier. "I guess I'll be here as long as this holds up so I should get started." She turned back to the group. "Grow up."

The all looked taken aback.

"What?" Sophie asked.

"Look. I died, not you. Good god you all walk around like zombies! Acting as if the world had ended. Grow up! Life's not over for you, it's over for me. I mean seriously!" She stomped her foot. "You are all insane to act so childish. I didn't die so that you all could wallow is self-pity; I died so that you could learn a lesson!

"I had hoped that my life would show you not to take things for granted just like knowing all of you taught me something. If I hadn't had the life I had I would have never known any of you. Now it's your turn to take those lessons and teach them to someone else.

"Life doesn't stop because you want it to. Life doesn't care if you're upset, or if you're in a self-pitying mood. Life goes on. It's always moving forward and it's your job to pick yourself up and keep moving with it.

"I know that I had only known most of you for a month but I had hoped that during that month you would have grown to see that you all need to live your lives to the fullest. If not you're going to miss out on so many things." She turned to her former partner. "Sophie, look at you. You're going nowhere and you have so much before you! Just look at who's standing behind you. That man loves you and you're almost throwing that out the window by wallowing over the fact that I died. And Yusuke!" She turned to the man in question. "What happened to the 'I'll never regret anything' thing you had going on? Man up, you have a lot of life a head of you for you to be moping around.

"This isn't a time to sit and throw a tantrum over things you had no control over. I lived my life to the fullest that last month with all of you; I have no regrets about my death, you shouldn't either. I finally got to see what a true family was like and I was even lucky enough to see what true love really was." She stopped and smiled at Hiei, he moved closer to her.

"Don't keep looking back…" She murmured as she moved her hand close to the barrier. "Start moving forward. Look for the new tomorrow. I know you will never forget what we had or me but I know there is another that will be waiting for you. It's time to move on with your life and when you find her don't push your memories of me onto her, let her be herself. I will always love you." She closed her eyes against the tears she felt and pushed hard against the barrier that had begun to crack and it shattered.

Hiei's arms reached out automatically and caught the lifeless body of his former love.

"I'm sorry…" Veleda murmured as she walked over to him. "I couldn't stop her."

"No…" He answered. "It's what she would have wanted." Carefully he laid down the shell.

"You know…" Sophie murmured as she moved up. "It doesn't hurt so much now."

"She taught us all a lesson on how to live." Yusuke answered. "I think she had wanted to do that the first time but we just didn't want to hear her."

"We heard her this time…" Kuwabara said.

Shuichi nodded as Hiei pushed his way through the group and left.

Veleda watched him silently knowing that he still had to listen but didn't pursue him, instead she turned to the body before her. "I can have her taken to my shrine and have the body cremated. That way no one will ever be able to harm her again."

"I think that's a good idea." Yusuke commented as he lifted the body. "I think Mattie finally deserves her peace."

With that the group turned and left the empty warehouse, shaking off the sadness they had all been swallowed into. Soon they would all live the life that she had wanted them to live.

_**Thank you Veleda… If it weren't for you I would have never been able to reach them.**_

Veleda smiled to herself as she placed her hand up with the prayer beads. _Be in peace Mattie. Everything is as it should be. You have taught us all_.


	12. The Epilogue

**A/N: here is the final chapter to Seeing Ghosts.**

**Please Enjoy and thank you for sticking it out!

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_Epilogue_

"So you're back?" Koenma asked as he looked up to see Botan walking in with a smiling Mattie.

"For now." She answered tossing back her bubblegum pink hair.

"Ah… I assume you're here to talk about what I mentioned earlier."

"Well only if it's still good."

"The offer is still good."

"Then I'll take it." Mattie smiled as she leaned against the desk. "So why did you offer it to me anyway?"

"We sort of weren't expecting you." Koenma answered honestly.

Mattie laughed. "You knew for awhile that I was going to die."

"We were hoping it would be fixed before that actually happened but you're stubborn so you didn't let that happen."

"What will it be like? Will I remember anything?"

"Not right away, no. And depending on who it's with you may never remember at all."

"Can I pick who I want it to be with?"

"I'm sure you and I both have the same people in mind."

Mattie turned to look at him. "Will it hurt them? I don't want them to be upset when they find out."

"I won't tell them and if you don't remember no one is the wiser."

Mattie sighed and turned her face to the ceiling. "I miss them…" She murmured. "I would love to go back but I don't regret my choice."

Koenma watched the pink haired girl and realized just how wise she truly was. Her exterior never let it show but she always seemed to be two steps ahead of the game. She had even been two steps ahead of the after-life.

"If it's something you really want then we'll look into it. You will be one of the few people that actually get this offer."

Mattie smiled. "Thanks Koenma. I don't think I'm done with whatever I needed to do so this is something to help me on my path."

Koenma sighed. "Maybe you should have been psychic."

Mattie shook her head. "I don't think that would do anyone any good. How's Veleda anyway? I know she used herself as the sealing vessel for the poltergeist."

"She's doing fine. She's gone into hiding for awhile until she's got it under control, but she's strong I don't put it past her to get it under control." Koenma leaned back in his chair as he shuffled papers moving back to the topic at hand. "Well it will be a few years before we can get it situated, better go get comfortable."

Mattie smirked. "That place is so boring and last time I was only there for a few months, a few years will be killer."

"Well if you go anywhere else the offer will be void."

"Yeah, yeah…" She murmured as she pushed off the desk and headed towards the door that would take her to the place she would be staying. "Just don't forget."

"I won't."

"Be seeing you!" With that she ran off through the door.

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Five years later

Sophie leaned back in her armchair as she gazed down at the large lump in her abdomen. "Just a few more days probably…" She murmured smiling.

Shuichi walked up and kissed her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

Sophie smiled. "I'm ready to get her out of there." She answered.

Shuichi laughed. "You can't rush these things you know?"

Sophie nodded. "Yeah I now… So how's Keiko and the baby?"

"Keiko's fine, so is the baby. Premature birth's aren't all that uncommon so he'll be just a little small for now but they should be able to go home soon."

Sophie smiled. "Good… I was worried about that. Do you think she'll be all human or half demon?" She asked as she leaned back to look up at Shuichi.

Shuichi sighed; this obviously wasn't the first time he had thought about the idea. "Well I'm not sure. You and I are both fully human."

"I hear a but in that sentence."

He laughed. "But I do also have Yoko Kurama inside me."

"So we're not sure."

"No I guess not."

Sophie pursed her lips. "We'll just wait and see then."

Shuichi nodded. "Have you thought of a name?"

Sophie shook her head. "I can't figure out anything really special."

"You know we can name her Mattie…"

Sophie shook her head again. "I already thought about that but I know Mattie, she wouldn't want to me to name my child after her so I won't, but that doesn't mean I've found a name that is perfect for the baby either."

"Well we have some time left, you don't need to rush."

Sophie smiled. "Thanks for being so supportive."

Shuichi smiled back. "I will always support you, I love you."

"I love you too." She answered back before touching his arm. "One more thing."

"What's that?"

"I think Hiei shouldn't be the godfather…"

Shuichi stopped and cocked his head to the side. "Why not?"

Sophie blushed, biting her lip slightly before she continued. "I had a dream… and I know that it's just a dream but in the dream I had seen him with a girl who reminded me of Mattie and I think it was the baby. Now I know he'll be much older and it is a silly dream but I think it was something for the future and obviously it could just be my imagination but if it's true…"

Shuichi sighed and took Sophie's hand. "Yusuke would probably much rather be the godfather anyway. It would make him really happy. Besides if that dream really meant something to you we'll see what happens."

Sophie smiled and brushed her lips against Shuichi's. "Thank you love…"

"Anytime dear." He answered smiling before he kissed her back. "I'll be back after work." With that he left.

Sophie looked down and smiled. _If only you could see me now Mattie. I really am living my life in a way that would make you proud. I am living my life to the fullest, thanks to you._ She looked out the window into the sparkling lake they lived next to._ Thank you Mattie. Thank you for everything.

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**A/N 2: If anyone is interested in a spin off after this please tell me! i was thinking about it ^^**


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